Global industry leaders call on GHG standards-setting body to incentivise renewable gases, ahead of COP30

32 leading industrial and utilities companies join Let Green Gas Count campaign call on GHG Protocol to recognise market-based instruments for renewable gases.

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM, November 5, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Ahead of COP30 and the 10th anniversary of the Paris Climate Agreement, 32 leading industrial and utilities companies around the world have joined coordinators of the Let Green Gas Count campaign (ADBA, American Biogas Council, EBA, e-NG Coalition, Eurogas, Molecule Group, RNG Coalition, World Biogas Association) in calling on the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol to better incentivise renewable gas uptake in its upcoming standards revision.

The GHG Protocol is the most widely used framework for greenhouse gas accounting in the world, meant to provide transparency to emissions measuring, managing and reporting. Policymakers and regulators across the globe refer to its guidance, as do 97% of the Fortune 500. With such influence, its revision could shape how industries cut emissions for years to come. However, the GHG Protocol has yet to respond to calls from over 200 industrial representatives in February 2025 to urgently revise standards in support of green gases.

The letter from industrial and utilities leaders aligns with the Brazilian COP Presidency’s recent pledge to quadruple production and use of renewable fuels, including gases, by 2035, and call for further investment into these alternatives as an essential tool for achieving Net Zero.

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA)’s 2025 Outlook for Biogas and Biomethane, policymakers around the world have introduced over 50 new policies to support biogas uptake since 2020. In the EU, renewable gases like biogas, biomethane and e-methane are already recognised as having a vital role to play in decarbonising the economy and supporting European security of supply. But despite consensus on their benefits, only around 5% of the total potential for sustainable production of biogas and biomethane is currently being used.

The joint letter therefore calls for the upcoming GHG Protocol revision to boost investor confidence by explicitly recognising market-based tools which incentivise producers and consumers to decarbonise. These include, for example, certification schemes, such as guarantees of origin or proof of sustainability certificates, which verify the environmental attributes and sustainability of energy sources.

Rafik AMMAR, Policy Director e-NG Coalition, a coordinator of the Let Green Gas Count campaign, said: "Renewable gases like biomethane and e-methane are proven, scalable solutions that connect today’s infrastructure with tomorrow’s net-zero system. Around the world, companies are producing and investing in renewable gases to decarbonise operations where electrification alone is not enough. The GHG Protocol now has the opportunity to align with this global momentum by recognising robust certification systems that already guarantee traceability and integrity. Clear guidance from the GHG Protocol would unlock billions in clean energy investment and accelerate industrial decarbonisation worldwide."

Sector leaders have stressed that, unchanged, the Protocol risks holding back industries where electrification is not technically feasible, not cost-effective, or faces other bottlenecks such as grid congestion from meeting their climate goals.

Albert Kassies, Director of New Energy at Tata Steel Nederland, one of Europe's biggest steel manufacturers and part of the global Tata Steel Group, said: “Our company strongly believes that biomethane can play a big part in decarbonizing steel and energy-intensive industries. Before this is the case some hurdles need to be taken down. Biomethane not being supported in the Greenhouse Gas Protocol is one of them. As decarbonization projects for hard-to-abate industries are long and complex, it is essential that enabling conditions for these projects are brought in place as soon as possible. That will enable our company to reach its decarbonization goals and help the world live up to the Paris Agreement.”

Maria Pia De Caro, EVP, Integrated Operations and S&R of Pernod Ricard, a worldwide leader in the spirits and wine industry, said: “Energy efficiency and electrification are central to our sustainability strategy. At the same time, we are exploring renewable energy solutions, with biomethane playing a key role, both as a renewable source and a way to close the loop by valorizing our by-products. Where direct biomethane delivery isn’t efficient, we will rely on Renewable Gas Guarantees of Origin (RGGOs) to ensure traceability and credibility. Clear guidance from the GHG Protocol will be essential to scale this approach globally.”

The truck manufacturing industry has also warned that biomethane has a crucial role to play in cutting emissions both in production and of heavy-duty vehicles on the road.

“When the GHG Protocol recognizes renewable gas certificates, the market for renewable gases can grow more quickly, which will speed up the decarbonization of industrial operations and heavy truck transports,” says Lars Mårtensson, Environmental Director at Volvo Trucks, a leading global truck-maker.

32 industry leaders from across different industries including the steel, spirits and wine, and heavy-duty trucks industry are therefore calling on the GHG Protocol to:
> Issue an interim statement recognising the need for robust market-based instruments;
> Ensure that the review not only stays on track for completion in 2028 at the latest, but is rather fast-tracked in order to reduce its impact on the market.



ENDS

***NOTES TO EDITOR***

List of 32 signatories:
Yannael BILLARD, Acting Director, Airport Planning, Sustainable Development and Public Affairs Division, ADP Group
James Streater, General Manager and Head of Sustainable Development, Arcelor Mittal
Christophe Pouille, CEO, Balsan
Raffaele Ruella, CFO and Head of Corporate Services and Managing Director, Beltrame Group
Thierry Quaranta, Directeur de la Transformation Durable, Carrefour Supply Chain
Maïwenn Le Pierrès-Bullier, Director General, CERAFEL
Elena Breda, Chief Technology and Sustainability Officer, Electrolux Group
Florence Colombo-Fouquet, Chief Sustainability Officer, Engie
Sonia Thimmiah, Senior Director, Global Sustainability, Heineken
Rémi Cristoforetti, CEO, Le Gouessant
Koki Hayakawa, Senior Managing Director and Secretary General, Japan Gas Association
Norbert Audéoud, Global Head of Sustainability, Operational Excellence & Safety, Knauf
Sylvestre Bertucelli, Directeur, Légumes de France
Régis Chevallier, President, Les Maraichers Nantais
Christine Montenegro McGrath, SVP, Chief Impact & Sustainability Officer, Mondelēz International
Sandrine Meunier, Director General, Natran
Benjamin Ware, Global Head of Climate, Nestlé S.A.
Alexander Godow, COO, NordZucker
Anna Chittum, President, NW Natural Renewables
Tadashi Yamamoto, Deputy Senior General Manager, Energy Resources and Carbon Neutral Business Department, Osaka Gas Co., Ltd.
Jose-Ramon Fernandez, European Public Affairs Director, Pernod Ricard
Xavier Galliot, Chief Sustainability and Stakeholder Engagement Officer, Roquette
Vincent Ferry, Managing Director, Save Energies
Pierre-Yves Jestin, Président, Coopérative Maraichère de l'Ouest - SAVÉOL
Fredrik Nilzén, Head of Corporate Sustainability, Scania CV AB
Carsten Franzke, Managing Director, COO, SKWP
Albert Kassies, Director of New Energy, Tata Steel Nederland
Takeshi Kanamaru, Executive Officer / General Manager of Corporate Planning Department, TOHO GAS CO., LTD.
Yuji Kobayashi, Senior General Manager, e-Methane Business Development Department, Green Transformation Company, Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd.
Thomas Riou, CEO, Verescence
Jan Hjelmgren, Senior Vice President Product Management, Volvo Trucks
Biagio Costantini, CEO, Zignago Vetro


Background Information

The Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol is an initiative associated with the World Resources Institute and World Business Council for Sustainable Development, that began in the 1990s and is responsible for developing global standards for managing GHG emissions. Its standards are referenced by governmental and non-governmental organisations alike, as well as businesses and industry associations. The GHG Protocol aims to improve and disseminate emissions accounting methodologies so that decision-makers around the world align their decarbonisation strategies with science-based global warming limits.

The Let Green Gas Count initiative is an industry-led campaign calling for clarity around market instruments for renewable gaseous fuels in the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol. It is coordinated by Eurogas, the European Biogas Association (EBA), the Molecule Group, the World Biogas Association (WBA), the Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association (ADBA), the Electric Natural Gas (eNG) Coalition, the Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas, and the American Biogas Council. The group published a call for clarity around market instruments for renewable gases in the GHG Protocol in February 2025, which was signed by over 230 global organisations committed to accelerating the decarbonisation of business and industry. This initiative continues efforts to achieve the recognition of market tools so that renewable gases can play their part in the energy transition.

e-NG Coalition is a collaborative alliance of 25 pioneering companies that believe electric Natural Gas (e-NG) has a role to play to accelerate the energy transition towards a net-zero carbon future. The Coalition seeks to promote e-NG, build a global market with aligned emissions accounting and certification standards, and bolster cooperation between all stakeholders along the e-NG value chain. By aligning industry innovation with ambitious climate policies, the coalition aims to be a catalyst for meaningful progress in the energy landscape.

The Conference of the Parties (COP) refers to the international climate meetings held each year by the United Nations involving countries that are parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. It serves as a platform for negotiating and making decisions on climate-related issues. This year, COP30 takes place in Belém, Brazil beginning on 10 November. The Brazilian Presidency for the year has pledged to quadruple the production of sustainable fuels by 2035, calling for further investments in these alternatives as essential tools for achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions.

Renewable gases like biogas, biomethane and e-methane are crucial for the decarbonisation of heavy industrial processes used in manufacturing ceramics, chemicals, cement, textiles, pharmaceuticals, glass, paper and bricks, as well as in powering heavy-duty vehicles. These end-uses cannot be easily, cost-effectively or quickly electrified for a variety of reasons, like requiring extreme or spread-out heat, continuous or off-grid energy supply, or lacking the CO2 required for chemical processes, while renewable fuels offer a more practical, cost-effective and immediate alternative, often replacing natural gas directly.

Market-based instruments are important policy tools for scaling up renewable fuels. They allow companies to explore and pursue the most appropriate decarbonising solution for them based on their operational and financial situation, while incentivising innovation and investment, promoting transparency and increasing the credibility of these alternatives. Examples are certificates like guarantees of origin and proof of sustainability, which verify the renewable quality of a traded energy source, increasing demand for that energy by its compliance with regulations. Another type of market-based instrument are emissions trading schemes, which rely on the aforementioned certificates to prove the environmental attributes of the fuel in use. This provides flexibility for companies to reach climate goals using the technology that makes sense for their particular business. These tools encourage engagement with the renewable fuels market that will help them grow despite their current competitive disadvantages due to being newer industries.

About industrial end-users quoted:

Tata Steel Nederland is one of Europe’s largest steel producers and a cornerstone of Dutch industry. Our steel is found in buildings, cars, packaging, and machinery. We have production sites in the Netherlands, the United States, Belgium, Germany and other parts of Europe. Tata Steel Nederland is part of the global Tata Steel Group, one of the world’s leading steel companies. In the financial year which ended March 31st of 2025, we generated €6,3 billion in revenue. We are on our way to produce climate neutral steel by 2045. That means cleaner steel, made without coal.

Pernod Ricard is a worldwide leader in the spirits and wine industry, blending traditional craftsmanship, state-of-the-art brand-building, and global distribution technologies. Our prestigious portfolio of premium to luxury brands includes Absolut vodka, Ricard pastis, Ballantine’s, Chivas Regal, Royal Salute, and The Glenlivet Scotch whiskies, Jameson Irish whiskey, Martell cognac, Havana Club rum, Beefeater gin, Malibu liqueur and Mumm and Perrier-Jouët champagnes. Our mission is to ensure the long-term development of our brands with full respect for people and the environment, while empowering our employees around the world to be ambassadors of our purposeful, inclusive and responsible culture of authentic conviviality. Pernod Ricard’s consolidated sales amounted to €10,959 million in fiscal year FY25.

Volvo Trucks supplies complete transport solutions for discerning professional customers with its full range of medium and heavy-duty trucks. Customer support is provided via a global network of dealers with 2,200 service points in about 130 countries. Volvo trucks are assembled in 12 countries across the globe. In 2024, approximately 134,000 Volvo trucks were delivered worldwide. Volvo Trucks is part of the Volvo Group, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of trucks, buses, construction equipment and marine and industrial engines. The group also provides complete solutions for financing and service. Volvo Trucks’ work is based on the core values of quality, safety and environmental care.

Rafik Ammar
e-NG Coalition
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